Two years had passed since then. My family had started to heal. Yet there were still some dividers, some places of tension. But life had finally gotten somewhat back to normal.
Normal enough for us to continue our lives.
Loak now with a spirit brother went through many trials of the clan. He was set to become a full warrior soon. So was Aonung.
And so was I.
I had bonded with a Tulkun. A wonderful Tulkun female named Nirena. She was a serious thing, some even called her a bit mean. But once you got past her cold nature she was wonderful. She was a true friend. She helped me heal. Strangely enough we both bonded over the fact that we had lost a brother.
I had completed many of the trials of the tribe. There was one I had yet to accomplish. It was a simple one but I was in no rush.
Aonung and I had grown impossibly close. We joked, laughed, and talked to our heart's content often spending most of our day together.
Tsireya and Loak had gotten closer as well. No surprise there.
Spider had accumulated to living on the water. Even for us as Navi, it was hard to do but as a human, it was even harder. He was persistent though. And he did it.
The threat of Quaritch had become a whisperer. He was dead after all so my father felt as much peace as he could.
The RDA seemed to become silent, though the war was still happening back in the forest. Without their demon ship, they couldn't hunt any more Tulkun.
There was peace.
Ronal had her baby. A beautiful little girl names Atsue.
Mother grew pregnant again. This time with a little boy she named Toru.
All was going well. Well enough that when I turned sixteen I asked my father if I could return to the forest for a short while.
You see when a young omatikaya woman came to the age of sixteen she would have the chance to go though a set of rituals. A set of rituals that would enable her to serve along side the Tsahik. Grandmother had been so excited for me and Kiri to do it. Although Kiri didn't think much of it I knew how important it was to grandmother.
At first, my father was against it. Of course, he didn't want to see his little girl go off on her own. But mother convinced him otherwise. Something about forging my own path.
I wasn't gonna lie I was a bit scared of the journey. It was the first I would do alone. But I was excited. I was going to see my grandmother again.
The night before I was to leave my family all gathered around our fire and ate a big meal.
"Are you sure your gonna let her go alone? I mean what if she gets lost?" Loak asked teasingly.
"Say's the one who got us lost last time," I grinned back.
"I think you'll do remarkably," Kiri said giving me a side hug.
"I should be going with you," mother said with a small frown. I simply smiled reaching over to gently take Torus's little hand in mine. He was resting in her arms soundly asleep after his feed.
"Toru needs you now. I will be fine mother," I said giving her the best reassuring smile I could give.
"You go straight there and straight back," she said.
"I know, and I follow the island path and stop every night. I know mum," I said. She tsked her tongue and reached over to cup my cheek with a proud smile.
"I still think she's gonna get lost," Loak spoke up earning chuckles from everyone.
"At least twice I think," Spider spoke up making my mother draw her hand back.
"You won't get lost Nin. I believe in you," Tuk spoke up.
"Thanks, Tuk," I smiled giving her a wink.
"Sorry to interrupt," we all turned to the entry of the hut where Aonung stood. He had grown taller in the two years. Yet Loak often held it above him that he was taller. Other than that he hadn't changed much.
"The tsahik wishes to see you," he said nodding to me pretending to be serious. Loak, spider, and Kiri all shared a knowing look.
"For what?" Dad asked as we both stood.
"To bless her journey," Aonung lied smoothly.
"Alright," dad nodded to me. Walking out I waited till we were far enough away before Aonung took my hand as we both shared wide grin's jumping into the water.
We swam to our special spot. Where we had the first star gazed and cuddled up on the exposed rocks simply staring at the stars and talking.
"I wish I could go with you," he admitted.
"You have duties here," I whispered. Although I also wished he could come with me.
"Ah, they wouldn't miss me for how long was it again?" Young asked although he knew the answer down to the exact day.
"Three months," I said turning to raise my head and resting my chin on his chest so we could look at each other.
"Three months," he whistled.
"That's a long time," he said making me chuckle.
"It's really not," I said.
"It's a long time for me," he said.
"What am I going to do all day? I won't have anyone to scare away the fish I hunt," he said. I faked a hurt expression gently slapping his chest. He chuckled catching the hand and pulling it up to place a chaste kiss upon it before holding it to his chest.
"I am going to miss you my kaltxi," he whispered honestly. My kaltxi. It meant my heart. I blushed at the nickname he had come to call me.
"I will miss you as well," I admitted.
"Then here," he said sitting up and pulling something from his pouch. Holding it up I smiled seeing the beautiful leather woven necklace with a tear-shaped pearl dangling from the bottom.
"To remember me by," he said simply with a smile.
"Aonung. It's beautiful," I whispered. Nodding to me I turned around pulling my hair to the side. Gently he tied it up. Running my hand over it I tuned back to him with a bright smile.
"It suits you," he said filled with pride as he saw it on my neck. He took a moment to take me in. Take in my beauty under the full moon. The way the light reflected off the water danced over my skin.
"What it is?" I asked noticing his heavy gaze.
"You are simply beautiful," he said without any hesitation. I blushed deeply with a chuckle.
"Not so bad yourself," I said taking his hand. He gently rubbed his thumb over the back of my palm. I smiled reaching up to take his neck as we stared deeply into the eyes of each other. We slowly leaned in.
"HEY!" Aonung let out a frustrated groan at the sound of Loak's voice his head dropping to my shoulder. I chuckled looking at my brother.
"None of that shit," he said riding his Ilu up to us.
"What is it Loak?" I asked.
"Father told me to come to get you. He's getting suspicious of how long these blessings are going for," Loak made quotation marks over the blessing part. Aonung and I both stood our hands still connected. Loak had taken up the big brother act as soon as he found out Aonung and I were meeting. But he also took up the act of friend. He allowed it. To an extent.
"I guess you're here to bring me home?" I asked.
"Damn straight," Loak said glaring at Aonung.
"Loak," Aonung nodded to him.
"Keep you fish lips of my sister," Loak gave him a pointed look.
"Of course," Aonung said pulling his hands up in defense.
"Come on Nin," Loak called.
"By Aonung," I said giving him a small wave.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he nodded.
"Nin, you have something here," Aonung stopped me. My eye widened as he leaned down pressing a quick kiss to my lips.
"Son of a bitch!" Loak huffed pulling himself out of the water. Aonung only laughed mischievously as he dived into the water and was off successfully stealing a kiss with no repercussions.
"Getting a bit slow there brother," I chuckled slipping into the water.
"I'll kill him," he huffed jumping in after me.
"I'm sure you will," I said as we swam in the other direction Aonung looking back to grin at me.
============================================================
============================================================